Anthurium plant named ‘Pink Champion’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named ‘Pink Champion’ characterized by having plants that flower early and fully and can be sold at different stages from a mini-type of 35 cm in height to a larger plant that is 70 cm in height. The peduncle of ‘Pink Champion’ is long and erect and therefore the flowers are held well above the foliage. The plant habit is full due to shoot formation, and the leaves are dark-green, compact and durable with light-green primary veins. The flowers are durable and, at first, are pink in color becoming green when maturing. The part of the spathe near the spadix turns first into green. After approximately 20 weeks, the flower becomes completely green. The green color of the spathe is lighter than the green color of the leaves. The amount of flowers is large in relation to the amount of leaf blades and therefore the ratio of leaf to flower size is excellent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAnthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium andraeanum L. andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pink Champion’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program, and wasobtained from a cross made during such a program in Bleiswijk, TheNetherlands, in 1993. The female or seed parent was a pink-red-colored,proprietary Anthurium andraeanum hybrid having selection number93-372-02. The male or pollen parent was Anthurium andraeanum cultivar‘Sweet Heart Pink’ (PBR No. 15142).

‘Pink Champion’ was discovered and selected as a flowering plant withinthe progeny of the stated cross by the inventors, Jan van Dijk and N. A.M. van Rosmalen in December 1995 in a controlled environment in aglasshouse in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by tissue culture was performedby the inventors in a controlled environment in Bleiswijk, TheNetherlands, and has demonstrated that the combination ofcharacteristics are herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmlyfixed and retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Pink Champion’ which in combinationdistinguish this Anthurium as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. The plant flowers early and fully and can be sold at different stagesfrom a mini-type of 35 cm in height to a larger plant that is 70 cm inheight;

2. The peduncle is long and erect and therefore the flowers are heldwell-above the foliage;

3. The plant habit is full due to shoot formation;

4. The leaves are dark-green, compact and durable with light-greenprimary veins;

5. The flowers are durable and, at first, are pink in color becominggreen when maturing. The part of the spathe near the spadix turns firstinto green. After approximately 20 weeks, the flower becomes completelygreen. The green color of the spathe is lighter than the green color ofthe leaves; and

6. The amount of flowers is large in relation to the amount of leafblades and therefore the ratio of leaf to flower size is excellent.

‘Pink Champion’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantlywith variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, anddaylength, without any change in genotype.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic illustrations show the characteristics ofthe foliage and flowers of a typical ‘Pink Champion’ plant, with colorsbeing as true as possible with illustrations of this type.

Sheet 1 is a side view showing the flowers held well above the leafcanopy.

Sheet 2 is a close-up view of the flower showing the spathe and spadix.

Sheet 3 is a close-up view of the flowers of five different developmentstages. The flower on the left is the youngest while the one on theright with the green spadix and spathe is the oldest. As the flowermatures, the spathe color turns from pink into green. The flowers on theleft and right display a difference in age of approximately 25 weeks.

Sheet 4 is a close-up view of a leaf blade showing its green color witha shiny surface and light-green veins.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe 65 week oldplants grown in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands, under greenhouse conditionswhich closely approximate those generally used in horticulturalpractice. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society(R.H.S.) Colour Chart, except where general color terms of ordinarysignificance are used. The color references are approximate, as colordepends to a degree on horticultural practices such as light level anddegree of fertilization, among others. The color values were determinedbetween 1:00 am. and 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 30, 1999 under 10,000 lux naturallight in a glasshouse in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.

Classification:

Botanical.—A hybrid of the species Anthurium andraeanum L.

Commercial.—Anthurium cv. ‘Pink Champion’.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Anthurium andraeanum cultivar ‘Sweet Heart Pink’ PBR No.15142).

Female parent.—Anthurium andraeanum hybrid having selection no.93-372-02.

Propagation: Vegetative, by tissue culture.

Plant:

Growth habit.—Approximately 55-60 weeks following division, plant willreach a mature size of approximately 30 cm to 60 cm in height andapproximately 35 cm to 55 cm in width in a 17-cm pot. When placed in alarger pot, plant may grow to approximately 80 cm in height.

Leaves:

Form.—The leaf blade is elliptical-cordate with an acute tip and acordate base. The leaf blade angle with the petiole is between 110 and140 degrees. Leaf blades enlarge as the plant ages and some axillaryshoots with small leaf blades are also produced. Therefore, a wide rangein leaf blade length and width is found on each plant. The miniumum leafblade length is approximately 3 cm and the maximum leaf blade length isapproximately 18 cm. The minimum leaf blade width is approximately 1.5cm and the maximum leaf blade width is approximately 10 cm. Mature leafblades are cupped.

Margin.—Weakly sinuate.

Texture.—Leaf blades are leathery and thick.

Veins.—The mid-vein and primary veins (the veins which radiate out fromthe juncture of the petiole and leaf) protrude at the underside of theleaf blade. The light-green color of the veins at the upper surface (RHS144A) and the lower surface (RHS 144B) of the mid-vein and primary veins(approximately 6 to 8) contrast with the more darker-green color of theupper surface of the leaf blade.

Color.—The leaf blade upper surface is RHS 137A; the leaf blade lowersurface is light-green (RHS 146B).

Lobes.—A leaf blade has two lobes extending past the petiole. Thedistance from petiole/leaf juncture to the highest point on the lobes ofmature leaf blades (width 10 cm, length 15 cm) ranges approximately from4 to 5 cm.

Petiole.—Green (RHS 146B); the cross section of the petiole is round andthe diameter is approximately 2 to 5 mm, length is 10-15 cm. The colorof the cataphylls surrounding the petioles is RHS 175A.

Spathe:

Buds.—The spathe is tightly rolled around the spadix and extrudes fromthe peduncle sheath. The spathe is fully open at approximately the sametime that the peduncle fully elongates.

Size.—The completely developed spathe of a 40-cm tall plant isapproximately 7 cm to 8 cm long and approximately 5 cm to 8 cm wide.

Color.—When just fully open, the upper surface is RHS 52B and the lowersurface is RHS 51B. After approximately 10 weeks, the spathe is fullyopen and the lower surface starts to become green from the edge of thelobes (RHS 144A). The pink color slightly disappears. The rest of thespathe turns into a white/green/brown color. The primary veins in thespathe of a mature flower can fade to dark pink. After another 10 weeks,the spathe is completely green (RHS 144A). A little edge at the placewhere the spadix protrudes from the spathe stays pink.

Arrangement.—The spathe angle with the peduncle is between 100 and 120degrees. The spathe stand on a straight wiry peduncle approximately 6 cmto 15 cm above the foliage. The peduncle cross-section is round and thediameter approximately 3 mm to 6 mm, depending on the age of the plant.The peduncle is erect and ranges from approximately 15 to 45 cmdepending on the age of the plant.

Shape.—The spathe is cordate (heart-shaped) with a mucronate tip and acordate base. A just fully opened spathe is cup-shaped. The lobes of thespathe stay upwards. As the flower ages, the tip bends upwards slightly.

Flowering time.—One small untreated tissue culture plant ofapproximately 2 cm in height will flower, depending on season, afterapproximately 16 to 17 months when approximately 3 to 4 blossoms willappear. More blossoms appear a few weeks later so that a full floweringand salable plant can have 6 to 9 pink flowers. Due to the long life ofthe flowers, green flowers are also visible on the plant. Smallerblossoms may occur on less mature growth.

Reproductive organs:

Size.—The spadix measures approximately 2.5 to 5.5 cm in height. Thelength of the spadix is smaller than the length of the spathe. Thespadix is columnar in shape. The width of a mature spadix that isapproximtely 5.5 cm long is approximately 11 mm to 12 mm at the base andapproximately 8 mm to 9 mm at the top. The spadix angle with the spatheis approximately 75 to 85 degrees.

Color.—At the time the spathe unrolls, the spadix is divided into unripeand ripe portions. The unripe portion at the top side is yellow (RHS20B) and the ripe portion at the base side is pink (RHS 48B). As thespadix matures, it becomes first fully pink and then turns slightlylight-green. When the pistil has been pollinated, there will existberries on the spadix. The spadix is then dark-green (RHS 137C).

Stamens.—Anthers and filaments are not clearly visible on the spadix.

Pollen.—White in color (RHS 155D).

Pistil.—The same color as described for the spadix. The pistil protrudesfrom the spadix.

Berries and seeds: Berries are oval and yellow-brown (RHS 169B to 169C);seeds are oval and oblate, yellow-green (RHS 151A).

Roots: Flesh cream-white (RHS 158A to 158B), roots with smaller hairylaterals. The root-tips are yellow.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Anthurium plant named ‘Pink Champion’, asherein